In the zone this 2008

"In the zone this 2008"
Sun.Star Davao, Jan. 5, 2008

AS WE start this New Year, I am filled with a burning desire to change the way I think, feel and act.

This 2008, I will be extra positive and I hope to inspire my family and hopefully, yours too, with this improved outlook! It all began when I watched my favorite TV show, "Oprah", where it featured the bestselling self-help book and movie, "The Secret", by Rhonda Byrne.

Rhonda explains that the Great Secret of life is the law of attraction, which basically means "like attracts like". When you think a thought, you are also attracting like thoughts to you.

That is why it is important that we are conscious of how we think because thoughts become things. In other words, "Everything that happens to you-good or bad-you attract to yourself".

Life of Lisa's dreams

During the "Oprah" show, the story of Lisa particularly moved me. She narrated that in 2003, she was single, in debt and jobless. When Lisa was 12 years old, her two sisters were killed in a tragic accident. This traumatic experience gave her a lot of pain.

Because Lisa felt guilty that she survived, she felt unworthy of receiving blessings in her life. However, after being miserable for so many years, Lisa read about the law of attraction.

Following the principle, she visualized the life of her dreams-to be her own boss, find true love, have children and create a home. She even made a Vision Board composed of picture cutouts of what she wanted to attract and put it in her corkboard.

Remarkably in less than a year, Lisa achieved her vision. She had her own business; met her future husband in January 2004; she and her husband bought a house in May; they got a dog in June; and would you believe, by December, Lisa gave birth to her son?

Lisa acknowledges, "I think that our mind is a very powerful thing. I think anything is open to you if you believe that you can have it."

"The Secret" says

Intrigued by this principle, I bought a copy of the book, "The Secret" (P599 at National Book Store), and got the chance to read it in December 2007.

These are some of the essential lessons I learned from the book:

"You are like a human transmission tower, transmitting a frequency with your thoughts. If you want to change anything in your life, change the frequency by changing your thoughts."

"Make a list of some Secret Shifters to have up your sleeve. Secret Shifters are things that can change your feelings in a snap such as beautiful memories, future events, funny moments, nature, a person you love, and your favorite music. Then if you find yourself angry or frustrated or not feeling good, turn to your Secret Shifters list and focus on one of them."

"The Secret uses this three-step Creative Process which was taken from the New Testament in the Bible: Ask. Believe. Receive."

"When you allow a thought of doubt to enter your mind, the law of attraction will soon line up one doubtful thought after another. The moment a thought of doubt comes, release it immediately. Replace it with "I know I am receiving now". And feel it."

"Be grateful for what you already have, and you will attract more good things".

"Visualization is the process of creating pictures in your mind of yourself enjoying what you want. When you visualize, you generate powerful thoughts and feelings of having it now. The law of attraction then returns that reality to you, just as you saw it in your mind".

Putting the principle to the test

Just a few days of reading "The Secret" during my spare time, I started to experience its immense power. Last Friday, while waiting for my turn at the doctor's clinic, I was re-reading the book and thought to myself, "Will featuring "The Secret" in my column be a good idea?"

After my check-up, I went down to the hospital's lobby and saw an old friend and neighbor, Myra Silva. While we were talking, she noticed that I was holding "The Secret" book in my hands, even if only the back cover was visible to her. "Oh, so you're reading the book, too! I've read it and I'm convincing my parents to read it as well", she excitedly said.

Myra shared that she was starting 2008 by consistently writing in "The Secret's" companion book, a gratitude journal. Seeing Myra's enthusiastic reaction to "The Secret" convinced me even more that it was the right decision to write about the book.

In addition, a few days ago, I thought of my grandmother who passed away last December 3 and silently asked God to give me a sign if she was okay. While I was attending a fund-raising activity last Saturday, part of the program was an intermission number by the Franciscan Voice Choir and they beautifully sang Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up".

I nearly cried while listening to the choir's uplifting presentation. That was the song, which we used for my grandmother's audiovisual presentation at the wake; the same song that my daughter had been requesting me to play non-stop in my car stereo since my grandmother's burial.

Could it be that God was assuring me that my grandmother was happy in heaven? In the same fund-raising event, there was a raffle draw. During the past few years, I would often say, "I am not as lucky as before in winning raffle prizes". But, that morning, I decided to change my thoughts and instead said to myself, "I will win a prize!"

Guess what? Minutes after that thought, my name was called. Although I just won a consolation prize, I was overjoyed.

The book states "There is no such thing as a coincidence and that starting with something small is an easy way to experience the law of attraction with your own eyes".

In the `zone' this 2008

How can we apply "The Secret" in our family's lives? Below are several suggestions:

*Explain the law of attraction to your kids in the simplest way possible.

Use the analogy of a magnet. Remind them to think, feel and act positively in order to attract the same.

In the movie, "Evan Almighty", after being elected to Congress, Evan chants to himself every morning, "I am successful, powerful, handsome, happy". Tell your children to create their personal pep talk or rally call, too.

*Promote an attitude of gratitude.

Encourage your family members to start a gratitude journal. List down everyday things to be thankful for like "a yummy breakfast", "a good teacher", "a high grade", "a nice toy", "a caring yaya (nanny)", to name a few.

*Let your children think about their Secret Shifters.

When the kids need them during their low moments, these Secret Shifters can help change their mood instantly.

*Practice the art of visualization.

A perfect example of this is golf sensation Annika Sorenstam. Before hitting the golf ball, she would picture in her mind the trajectory of the golf ball. Annika would even visualize minute details such as the brushing of the wind on her arms as she lifts the championship trophy.

*Have a Vision Board.

You can do this project individually and as a family. Just like Lisa's story, place pictures of all the things you want, and pictures of how you, your child and your family want your lives to be in a corkboard. Display it in an area where all of you can see it every day.

*Teach the family to "Ask. Believe. Receive".

Memorize either of the following verses by heart: "And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive" (Matthew 21:22) and, "Therefore I say to you, whatever you ask, praying, believe that you will receive it, and you shall have it" (Mark 11:24).

In relation to this step, another awesome tale you can tell your kids is the life of Tiger Woods. As a very young child, Tiger pasted a picture on his headboard of the Augusta National Golf Club, the venue of the "The Masters", golf's most coveted major professional championship.

Every night, Tiger would stare at the picture, which also included a list of his idol Jack Nicklaus' 18 major championship win record. It was Tiger's long-time dream not just to play in Augusta's hallowed course, but also to win the championship and to eventually surpass Nicklaus' record.

He worked hard to achieve his goal together with his supportive father Earl and ultimately became the youngest player in its history to claim the trophy. At this moment, Tiger is on his way to beat Nicklaus' record with successive major wins unequalled by any golfer his age.

With these steps, I pray that you and your family will be in the `zone' and live the life of your dreams this 2008 and beyond!

For more information about "The Secret", check out www.thesecret.tv.